Contributed by: ARIA NORMANDY

We would like to submit the following project to H2020 commission, by enrolling partners in the consortium.The main project action is to build a Factory of the Future, i.e. to build a production line containing major new technologies created by innovative start-ups, in real working conditions, to enhance manufacturing efficiency, and not a simulation or just part of a production line to demonstrate the technology.

We would like to submit the following project to H2020 commission, by enrolling partners in the consortium.The project seeks to contribute to the adoption of advanced technologies improving productivity by fostering of the capacities of the factories designing process and integrating ICT features for the growth of their competiveness. The project will increase the technological assets of EU manufacturing through the development and integration of enabling technologies, such as innovative technologies for adaptable machines, ICT for manufacturing, and novel industrial handling of advanced materials (3D printing ...).

Focus is on emerging innovative technologies and processes, which need to be customised, integrated, tested and validated before being released on the market. These new features and products, providing by innovative start-ups and laboratory centres, will reach the businesses of the factories to enable their production performance enhancement: facilities, tools, IT, ERP… Moreover, the project aims to contribute to the promotion of sustainable consumption of resources by their better management and efficiency.

These innovation activities will strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness and sustainability. The integration of the leading edge technologies in real life production lines across Europe will demonstrate the effectiveness of the Factories of the Future.

The main action is to build a Factory of the Future, i.e. to build a production line containing major new technologies created by innovative start-ups, in real working conditions, to enhance manufacturing efficiency, and not a simulation or just part of a production line to demonstrate the technology. Consequently, the core project is to design the assembly of existing technologies in one place, working in real and effective conditions.

3 production lines on which are assembled technological components provided by technology providers will be the demonstrators of the manufacture enhanced by new technologies, making real the FACTORIES OF THE FUTURE. Each production line will integrate the same new technology solutions to improve competiveness (about 10 features), allowing return of experiment sharing: benchmark, production indicators improvement, technologies/features validation and appropriation.

The project will therefore be developed on the production sites across Europe according to regional or national specialisation, to apply these advanced solutions (ICT, IoT, smart objects, big data, data mining, simulation, automation, robotics …)

R&D for start-ups could therefore be limited to the adaptation and integration of existing products. Also, these POCs will enable them to sell their technology.

The project will cover the following four areas of technologies for adoption in manufacturing:• CPS and IoT• Robotics• Modelling, simulation, data mining and analytics• Digital design for additive Manufacturing

The project will establish across Europe networks of multidisciplinary competence and manufacturing centres offering “marketplaces” for SMEs that want to experiment their digital technologies in manufacturing of discrete or continuous goods. Manufacturing centres will offer access to production lines and skills for developing and testing innovative technologies and applications. The manufacturing centres will take benefit by the potential use of these technologies. The project will bridge suppliers (features providers) and users (factories) of the technology products. The project will carry out a critical mass of cross-border experiments bringing together different technology key players along the full value chain to customise the technologies according to the requirements of the users. The sharing of the experiment experiences in the different production lines will able to improve the enhanced manufacturing technology products, for improving their markets and deploying through the European manufacturing base.